TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2023 –Social Capital Partners (SCP) today announced the appointment of Matthew Mendelsohn as its new CEO, effective January 2, 2024. Jon Shell, SCP’s current Managing Director will become SCP’s Chair.

Matthew is a Canadian public policy leader. For over 25 years, he has designed and implemented public policy solutions that work in practice and has advised governments, organizations and elected leaders on ways to improve economic, social and democratic outcomes. Matthew is a former deputy minister with the governments of Canada and Ontario, and was the founding Director of the Mowat Centre, a public policy think tank at the University of Toronto. Most recently he was a Visiting Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and a Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group.

“Matthew is the ideal leader for our new chapter as we pursue our next big ideas,” said Bill Young, Founder of SCP. “As SCP enters its next phase, we will focus on transformational public policy. Our goal is to drive changes that will confront wealth inequality, the thickening barriers to intergenerational mobility, and obstacles to asset ownership for many Canadians.”

In describing SCP’s next phase, Jon Shell, added: “Good public policy can expand opportunities for Canadians to own businesses, homes and assets. Canada can continue to deliver on its promise, but we must do more to combat the financialization of our economy and create more opportunities for Canadians and communities to build wealth.”

“I have long been a big admirer of SCP and its relentless focus on having a positive impact on the lives of Canadians through concrete action, focused investments and coalition building,” said Matthew. “Rising wealth inequality is corrosive to democratic societies and diminishes all of us. The Canadian dream must remain a realistic aspiration for more Canadians, and public policy needs to catch up to the structural realities of our economy. SCP can help drive this work.”

“Good public policy can expand opportunities for Canadians to own businesses, homes and assets. Canada can continue to deliver on its promise, but we must do more to combat the financialization of our economy and create more opportunities for Canadians and communities to build wealth.”


Share with a friend

Related reading

Pipelines and algorithms aren’t going to save us | The Hill Times

Smart investments in natural resources and AI alone will not get us through this moment of geopolitical rupture. As Matthew Mendelsohn writes in an op-ed for The Hill Times, SMEs contribute just over half of Canada’s GDP and employ 64 per cent of our people. We have to make more low-cost capital available to the smaller businesses, locally owned enterprises, not-for-profits and social enterprises who crucially employ and reinvest locally, act as important local economic infrastructure and provide services that are crucial for well-being. They are automatic stabilizers in the face of tariff threats outside our control.

What’s wrong with mainstream economics?

Mainstream, or “neoclassical,” economics still dominates how we teach, study and understand our economy, even though much of it doesn’t match reality. In this piece, economists Louis-Philippe Rochon and Guillaume Vallet explain why outdated economic ideas persist and how they can lead to harmful policies. They challenge five common myths about inflation, growth and inequality, showing that today’s economy is driven more by power and institutions than by perfect markets. As "heterodox" economists, they argue it's time for a new kind of economics that reflects how the real world actually works.

Building a thriving Canadian economy: CSA Policy Pathways Conference promo slide

Building a thriving economy: CSA Policy Pathways Conference

The CSA Policy Pathways Conference convenes leaders, thinkers and changemakers across government, business, community and academia to confront the pressing questions shaping our economic future. How can we build resilience in the face of global uncertainty? What will it take to unlock innovation and ensure its benefits are broadly shared? How do we design policies that promote competition, inclusion, and financial security? Join us on November 5, 2025, in Toronto, as we explore how we can take bolder steps toward a more resilient, innovative and equitable economic future.

Skip to content